Sunday, December 16, 2007

Why they hate us

The United States, as the world's only superpower, is less vulnerable to military defeat. But it is more vulnerable to the animosity of other countries. Much like a top high school student, if it is modest about its abilities and achievements, if it is generous in helping others, it is loved. But if it attempts to dominate others, it is despised.

American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out.

Contrast Huckabee's explanation of why they hate us with that from Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif, AKA Dr Fadi, who is the author of a jihad manual used in Al Qaeda training camps and is reportedly one of Ayman Al Zawahiri's oldest associates. Al-Sharif is currently serving a life sentence in Egypt. He writes on why Arabs hate America:

America always supports Israel. Even [America’s foreign] aid, the common people don’t notice it, since it is either old weapons that America gets rid of to provide work for its factories, or old stocks of wheat it wants to get rid of, or birth control pills. This is American [foreign] aid - that is, America aids itself.

Al Sharif 's view on this is quite practical. "Modesty," "tone," and "attitude," which Huckabee thought were decisive, are not on Al Sharif's list of complaints.